Chapter 10
G et it the fuck together, Draevyn !
That blasted phrase ran on repeat as I monitored the hallway, stewing over my idiocy. The Princess and the Secretary were just inside the classroom, and I was glad of it. I hadn’t been affected by anyone like this since I was a Faeling, and even then, nothing compares to…her.
And I’d likely jumped straight out of her favor on the ride over.
This territory was foreign to me. All of my life, I’d had one goal in mind; to be the best Guardian the regimen had ever seen. It was a lofty goal. Many a warrior had accomplished this, but I wanted to be the best. So, when my Elemental Mark confirmed what I’d already known in my soul, I began my pursuit. There were endless decades of studying techniques and researching the greats. I can still recall Dax’s beet-red face when he’d finally relented and agreed to train me. I’d been outside of his quarters in Calichi, our esteemed Guardian outpost, pestering the enormous Viking who stood inches taller than me until he snapped and threw my head against a wall multiple times. With his fingers digging into my throat and blood trickling down my neck, I cited my intentions. I could still hear his rumbling tone telling me, “You’d better be sure this is what you want because to be the best, you’ll have to make certain sacrifices the rest of your fellow Guardians aren’t prepared to make.” I understood exactly what he’d meant. My fellow Guardians wanted their leisure time to be with their mates, or go home and visit their families. My family wasn’t the least bit happy about my being a Guardian, and I didn’t have a mate. Problem solved.
I trained. I ate. I slept.
And yes, on occasion, I fucked.
But matters of the heart were a whole other thing entirely. I’d never had the time for it, never cared to.
Until now.
So, as I fidgeted like a young sapling yards away from the source of my reaction, I thought of ways to gain her favor.
Perhaps a better canoa ride on the way back. Maybe in the cabin where it’s quieter. I could teach her about our ways.
But that was what Myles was doing right now. That was pointless.
Perhaps a walk in the gardens.
But that might be too intimate. Too forward.
I needed to start small; help her in some way. Perhaps I’d suggest that we practice morphing. That seemed to be a point of frustration for her. I couldn’t stand to see her face fall every time she witnessed a Water Fae looking at her with anything other than respect. It would serve her purposes well and keep me from wanting to pound the face of every single one of those who looked upon her with even an inkling of disapproval.
Plus, I desperately wanted her to cover that island-kissed skin of hers with scales. The constant semi beneath mine was beginning to chafe.
A telltale rustling sounded from within the room, indicating they were wrapping up their session. I afforded myself a moment to take a deep breath into my lungs.
It was time to step out of my comfort zone.